Tell Me You Crave Me (Search and Seduce #3)(33)

Be in East’s arms.

Be happy.

Be enough.





Chapter Eight


East unlocked the front door of his home and ushered Natalie inside.

“So this is the great Easton’s house,” she said with a sly smile.

“You’ve been here several times,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

“Yes, but never at night,” she said. Clearly that third glass of champagne had hit her. She wasn’t drunk, just a touch tipsy. “We all but snuck away from the bachelor-bachelorette party.”

“Naw, it was winding down. And there was no way I was letting a pretty thing like you go home alone.” He winked at her. Great, now he was flirting like an idiot.

“Oh, how many women have walked these halls…” She walked with her arms outstretched, fingers skimming the sides of the hallway as she made her way toward his bedroom.

“None,” he said honestly, walking behind her.

She turned to face him, her face a picture of surprise. “I beg your pardon?” she asked and shoved her glasses up her nose. My God she was f*ckin’ adorable, with her pink pouty lips and big eyes staring at him. She was also sexy as hell.

“I’ve never brought a woman to my home before,” he said. And it was the truth.

Natalie looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “How can that be?”

He shrugged. “My home is personal to me,” he said honestly. It had never crossed his mind to bring a woman here. He’d had sex in lots of places, public and private. But never once in his home or his bed.

Ever.

Now that he thought about it, it seemed weird.

Good thing he wasn’t thinking about it. All he was thinking about was Natalie standing in front of him, looking flushed and sexy and sweet and edible all in one.

“Well, I don’t want to infringe on your personal space. I thought we had snuck out of the party to…” She glanced over her shoulder at his bedroom door, and he realized just then what the expression in her eyes was. Uncertainty. He knew because he’d seen it before. He also knew she wasn’t overly experienced. Hell, she didn’t date much at all, much less men like him. But it was the first time he’d really seen her pause.

“We snuck out and I brought you here because I wanted to get away from everyone else.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“To have sex?” she clarified.

“Or hang out.”

Shock ran over her face. “Hang out? Like…”

“God, will you stop giving me the third degree? I just wanted to duck out and thought you’d like to come. Is that okay?”

“Well, yeah,” she whispered, and then the sass was back on her face. “But that was before I realized your bed is a virgin.” She tapped on the door handle. “I wouldn’t want to spook you. I bet you still have those old Star Wars sheets, huh?”

He smiled. She really was a brat, and he loved it. “They’re Spiderman sheets, and they’re awesome.”

She laughed, and it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. Tonight when he’d held her at Honey’s, it had annoyed him to the point of physical itching that he couldn’t touch her more. But they’d been in public. In front of Matt and all their family and friends. And all he could do was hear Natalie’s laugh and take it in like a friend. Because that’s all he could ever be to her. And at times, he’d been barely that.

He’d seen the look on her face when he’d found her in the corner tonight. Blank. Not sad, not happy, just blank. Like she knew the drill, knew her place, and played that part. But there was so much more to her that not a damn person seemed to realize.

Her laugh alone was life-changing, for Christ’s sakes! It came with a dimple and cute little crinkle by her eye, and f*ck, he wanted to make her laugh again. Normally he’d be thinking about other things for her mouth to do. But just then, laughing was top priority.

He realized she wasn’t pushing. Wasn’t going into his room. She was respecting his privacy, as if knowing this was some kind of step for him. Knowing him.

He came close and, damn, she smelled good. When his nose brushed hers, he reached and opened his door handle.

“Enter at your own risk,” he said in his best doom voice.

She smiled, and he felt it just briefly against his lips before she turned and walked in. It was dark, so he flipped on a single lamp on the nightstand by his bed.

“Wow,” she said, slowly moving around his room, the hardwood floor creaking beneath her steps. “This is not what I expected.”

She looked around and he followed her gaze. He was a pretty simple guy. King-size bed, matching dresser and nightstand, all in dark wood. She ran her hands along the stack of books he had by on his nightstand.

“The Last Battle?” she asked, reading the title of one.

“It’s about the Civil War.” She smiled and he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “What? I read.”

She nodded. “Clearly.”

“So what were you expecting?” he asked.

“Honestly? A round rotating bed, leopard print sheets, velvet curtains and—”

“Are you kidding? What else? Was I going to wear a smoking jacket to bed?”

“I was going to say that I’d assumed you’d have a cage with a dancing girl in it but, sure, a smoking jacket completes the look.”